Art of galvanizing metals.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUY L. MEAKER, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN STEEL AND WIRE COMPANY OF NEWV JERSEY.

ART OF GALVANIZING METALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1905.

Application filed June 13,1902. Serial No. 112.170.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUY L. MEAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Evanston, county of Cook, State of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Art of Galvanizing Metals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the art of plating or galvanizing metal by electrodeposition, and has reference to the plating solution employed as well as the method of producing the solution.

I have discovered that a solution of zinc chlorid, or a zinc sulfate or equivalent salts, or, preferably, a combined solution of the chlorid and sulfate in proper portion may be used in an electroplating or electrogalvanizing apparatus for the urpose of galvanizing metal and that the so ution may be obtained either by dissolving salts in the proper amount of water or by producing the solution direct from metallic zinc without reduction to a salt. WVhile these solutions may be used with varying degrees of success, I find the best results are obtained by producing the solution directly from the metallic zinc, for not only is such solution much cheaper, but the plating obtained therefrom is more adhering and coherent. I also find that a combined solution of zinc chlorid and zinc sulfate in the proportions of about one part of anhydrous chlorid to two parts of crystallized sulfate gives the best result. All of these solutions, however, produce a lating which does not have the desired meta lic luster, although it is in other respects quite satisfactory. I have further discovered that by adding to this solution a small amount of one or more vegetable acids-such as oxalic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, and the like-this luster will be obtained, thereby enabling me to produce galvanized metal of commercial value by means of electro lating instead of the heretofore commercial y used method of hot immersion, and that the difficulties heretofore experienced in the electrodeposition of metallic zinc are overcome. I have found that good results will be obtained by the use of a solution which is produced by adding to four hundred and fifty gallons of water about five hundred pounds of commercial muriatic acid of about 18 Baum and then adding about two hundred pounds of commercial sulfuric acid of about'66 Baum, in which I then suspend metallic zinc until a saturated solution is formed. To this saturated solution I add a suflicient quantity of water to reduce the density to about 9 Baum, and then add about one pint of a saturated solution of one of the'before-mentioned vegetable acids or their equivalents to each gallon of the zinc solution. The metal to be plated or galvanized is then placed in the solution in an ordinary electroplating apparatus and the zinc deposited on the metal by means of an electric current.

l/Vhile I have obtained the best results with the above-described solution, the ingredients as Well as the proportions may be varied without departing from my invention, and while I have described a solution to be used for depositing zinc other metals may be deposited in the same way.

What I claim is The herein-described method of galvanizing metal, which consists in subjecting the metal to the action of an electric current in an electroplating apparatus in the presence of an electrolyte composed of a combined solution of zinc chlorid, zinc sulfate, and a small proportion of a vegetable acid.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of June, in the year of our Lord 1902.

GUY L. MEAKER. lVitnesses:

HILLARY O. MESSIMER, GEORGE II. SoNNEBoRN. 

